July 22, 2015 3:26pm EDTJuly 22, 2015 3:26pm EDTAll Sports, News, Baseball, English, Kansas City Royals, Jason VargasThe left-hander is on the disabled list for the third time this year, this time with a torn elbow ligament.Jason Vargas(Getty Images)

Jason Vargas is on the disabled list for the third time in 2015, but he won't make a quick return from his latest stint.

The Royals left-hander has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, the team announced Wednesday. That generally means Tommy John surgery, and given the timing he figures to be sidelined for at least a portion of the 2016 season, too.

Vargas was activated from the DL for a Tuesday start against the Pirates but left in the second inning after throwing only 26 pitches.

“It was discomfort that caused me to feel like I definitely wasn’t going to be able to make any more pitches and be competitive,” Vargas told reporters afterward, via the Kansas City Star.

The 32-year-old was 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA in nine starts this season for the defending American League champions, whose pitching is robust enough that they demoted opening-day starter Yordano Ventura on Tuesday to make room for Vargas. But Ventura headed right back to Kansas City on Wednesday and will need to sort out his issues at the big-league level.

Given Ventura's issues and the loss of Vargas, rumors of the Royals adding a top-level starting pitcher will only intensify ahead of next week's non-waiver trade deadline. They have been mentioned prominently as a potential suitor for Johnny Cueto, and now adding a pitcher like that would be more than just a luxury item for manager Ned Yost.